Today, the first coronavirus self-test kits can be bought from Dutch pharmacies. The tests take just 15 minutes to yield a result and are less intrusive than traditional PCR tests. 

The tests can currently be bought from a selection of pharmacies across the Netherlands. By the end of April, they are expected to become more widely available in supermarkets and other stores.

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How do self-tests work?

The self-test does not require you to stick the cotton swab far up your nose. Instead, you insert the swab into the beginning of your nasal cavity for 15 seconds, twisting about four times — blegh.

You then take the cotton swab and insert it into a provided test tube of liquid, turning the swab and liquid upside down until the swab absorbs the liquid. Next, remove the swab and drop the liquid onto a test plate and wait no longer than fifteen minutes — after this time you test result may no longer be valid.

What next?

If you test positive, it’s time to grab your face mask and head to the nearest GGD test center, where you will undergo a PCR test.

If you test negative, you can breathe a sigh of relief — but it is worth noting that these tests are only 84% accurate, so proceed with caution, keep your distance, and keep washing your hands.

Jaap van Dissel, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Control at the RIVM, warns that a negative result does not mean that you can forget the current safety guidelines. If you do, “you have a greater chance of spreading in such a situation,” he tells the NOS.

What are your thoughts on this latest coronavirus test? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

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Let’s all give a round of applause for…coronavirus antibodies! These sparkling immunoglobulins can now be found in more than one in five Dutch blood donors. Hoera! 🎉

Over 21% of the blood donors have these little warriors running around their bloodstream, samples from Sanquin blood bank show. That number jumps to 26% in the south of the Netherlands, which was hit hard in the first wave.

While antibodies are better than nothing when it comes to neutralizing the virus, they don’t offer infallible protection. “Unfortunately, you cannot generally say that someone with antibodies is also guaranteed to be immune,” says Sanquin’s medical microbiologist Hans Zaaijer.

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Regardless, if you want some of these babies in your blood, you only have two options: vaccination (which we all know isn’t going so well in the Netherlands), or infection — not recommended.

(It’s worth mentioning that over 50% of the United Kingdom now has antibodies but, of course, we’re not keeping track or anything.)

Up with the antibodies

These numbers have been jumping up in recent months. In January, only 13% of donors in the Netherlands had antibodies. In February, this rose to 18.6%.

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A spokesperson says that the numbers are “strongly indicative,” but not necessarily representative of the Dutch population because minors cannot donate blood in the Netherlands.

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Feature Image: CDC/Unsplash

Last week, the Dutch government had hoped to see 416,000 coronavirus vaccinations given. In reality, only 280,570 were given out. While there are enough vaccines to go around, people didn’t claim an appointment slot. 

Jaap van Delden, a vaccine coordinator at the RIVM, explained to journalists that “we had enough vaccines to inject quickly, but the appointment slots just didn’t fill up fast enough,”  the NOS reports.

The exact reason for this is unknown, however, Van Delden suspects that people may be choosing to delay receiving their vaccine dose.

Distrust in AstraZeneca vaccine

Van Delden also suspects that those who are being called for appointments may not want to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine. Last week, there were 100,000 time slots available for people to receive a shot of the vaccine. Of these, only 36,000 slots were actually booked.

AstraZeneca played a significant role in Dutch news this past month. The rollout of the vaccine was temporarily halted in the Netherlands due to concerns over blood clots. However, after two weeks the vaccine was cleared and resumed.

Outgoing Minister for Health, Hugo De Jonge, is uncertain of what caused this lack of appointments.

Long waiting times

Another potential cause for the lack of appointments may be the waiting times experienced by those calling to book an appointment.

Call centres must leave many on hold and Van Delden believes people may be hanging up before they can book their time slot. “We, therefore, advise people to make an appointment online where possible for their vaccination,” he says.

The bottom of the refrigerator in sight

De Jonge remains hopeful that the Netherlands’ vaccine rate will continue to rise. He hopes to see between 400,000 and 500,000 vaccines given in the coming week. In doing this, the Netherlands will once again have “the bottom of the refrigerator in sight,” he says.

Van Delden is in agreement, saying that in spite of the delays, it’s possible to vaccinate such a number in the next week.

Three million by April not possible

However, while the Netherlands may be able to pick up the pace in the coming weeks, Van Delden doesn’t believe it’s possible to vaccinate three million people by April 1.

What are your thoughts on the Netherlands’ current vaccine rate? Tell us in the comments below! 

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